Burial-casket



(N0 Model.)

W AMILTON,

BURIAL UA$KBT. 310,275,201. Patented Apr.3, 1883.

'also a longitudinal movement thereon.

UNITED STATES ATENT WILLIAM HAMILTON, OF ALLEGHENY, ASSIGNOR TO HAMILTON, LEMMON ARNOLD & 00., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

- BURlAL-CASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,201, dated April 3, 1883.

' Application filed J annary 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HAMILTON, of Allegheny,in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial-Caskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figurelisaplan view of myimproved burialcasket. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a side view.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My improvement consists of a burial-casket having a movable face-plate, so pivoted as to be. capable of being swung back onto the lid without turning over.

The casket a is made of any desirable form and construction, and is provided with a lid, I), made in two parts, b b The part b is that portion of the lid which covers the upper end of the casket. The part b is fastened tightly to the casket, while thepart b is movable, and is secured to the part b by means of pivoted bails 0, the ends of which are bent and form the pintles of the pivots. The rear ends of the bails are pivoted in plates 11, secured on the opposite sides of the stationary part of the lid, while the other ends are secured in slots 0, made in similar plates, 6, on the part b so that the movable part b of the lid may not only have a pivotal movement upon the pintles, but The purpose of so hinging the movable portion 1) is to enable it to be turned back to the back end of the casket without being turned over. This movement is clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, where the broken lines indicate the movable portion as it is being trans ferred. This construction obviates the necessity of finishing the under side of the movable face-plate b it never being exposed. In order to prevent it scratching the top of the fixed portion b of the lid, I have provided the latter with a pair of projecting studs, f, upon which the face-plate may rest when it is thrown back. The inner end of the movable face-plate b is provided with dowel-pins g, which are designed to take into suitable holes, g, in the forward end of the stationary part b of the lid. When the movable face-plate b is thrown forward to its proper position, the dowel-pins 9 pass over the front end of the stationary part b without striking it. The purpose of the slots 0 is to enable the movable face-plate b to be pushed back until the pins 9 enter the holes 9. The outer end of the plate b is provided with a suitable catch, it, which becomes fastened when the plate b is pushed back sufficiently to cause the dowel-pins to engage with the holes 9. When the catch it becomes fast, the casket is securely closed. By pivoting the rear end of the bails c at or about the middle of the lid, the movable plate or portion 1) will swing clear 6 5 beyond the middle part, and will not therefore conceal the name-plate, which is designed to be placed upon the middle section, b

I do not limit myself to the use of the dowelpins and holes for securing the adjacent ends 0 of the two sections of thelid together, but claim also any equivalent construction, such as a tongue and groove. Nor do I limit myself to the use of a movable section having a longitudinal movement, because it may be fastened in other ways which obviate the necessity'ot' such movement; but I prefer the fastening shown and described, as it is at once secure and simple. 1

The great advantage in my improvementis, Be that the movable face-plate can be applied to the casket without the necessity of conforming to any particular form and construction, as has been the case heretofore in the use of sliding lids, which necessitate themaking ofthe casket of even width throughout, and also of making the stationary part of the lid which receives the sliding part very thin, and increases the expense of manufacture. Another form of prior construction has been to pivot the movable 0 part and swing it sidewise. This was objectionable, because it threw the movable part be yond the plane of the side and caused it to be in the way, and made the casket awkward and difficult to handle. With my improvement I 5 obtain all the advantages of having the movable part of the lid attached to the casket, so that it cannot be misplaced, and yet am not compelled to increase the cost of the casket nor the inconvenience of handling it, while on the other hand the arrangement is convenient and sightly. When thrown back the movable part has the appearance of being simply a raised moldingnpon the fixed part, and is entirely out of the way. The advantage of having the movable part of the lid attached to the casket consists in the fact that it prevents it from becoming mislaid or taken out of the room in case, as it often happens at a funeral, the room is crowded, and thus obviates completely what has often been the cause of confusion, embarrassment, and delay.

It will be noticed that my improvement involves the use of two pivotal connections between the casket and movable face-plate.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A burial-casket having a movable faceplate pivoted to swinging bails, so that it may be swung back from place without turning over, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, in a burial-casket, of a movable face-plate pivoted to swinging bails, and capable of a longitudinal movement on said bails, with dowel-pins or similar device for engaging the stationary part of the lid, and a fastening for securing it in place, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of December, A. D. 1882.

WILLIAM HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

W. B. OORWIN, T. B. KERR. 

